Sly Stone, the iconoclastic frontman for progressive soul band Sly and the Family Stone, has died at 82 in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles. The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and “…other underlying health issues,” according to a joint statement by his family and publicist Carleen Donovan.
Equally known for their innovative merging of disparate musical genres and chronic drug abuse, the Family Stone stormed international pop charts in the 1960s, landing in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time listing, and influencing recording artists across a broad spectrum of genres.
Born in Denton, Texas, and raised in the Bay Area city of Vallejo, Calif., as Sylvester Stewart, he was drenched in the Pentecostal gospel of his extended household. Sessions in various doo-wop groups led to a stint as a disc jockey on R&B radio station KSOL, where he became known for his diversified playlist. These eclectic sensibilities led to the formation of Sly and the Family Stone, a co-ed, racially integrated septet mirroring the social turmoil of the times. Under the sway of the legendary Clive Davis, they churned out a series of top ten singles that shook cultural boundaries across the globe.
“I had the very special experience of knowing him when he was at his most creative, his hardest working, and his genius flourishing vibrantly,” Davis recalled.
This financial windfall financed a lavish lifestyle, including homes in Beverly Hills and Napa Valley, and a marriage to model Kathy Silva at a concert in Madison Square Garden.
Simultaneously he developed a reputation for unreliability, missing concerts as a result of his escalating dependence on narcotics. By the end of the millennium, rumors circulated that he was homeless, reduced to living in a mobile home in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw District.
Still, his impact on popular music transcended categorization, as his songbook was lifted constantly by emerging hip hop and rap performers whose “sampling” begat a new generation of creativity. The Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Funkadelic, Ice Cube, and Public Enemy are just a few of those acknowledging his impact.
Award-winning percussionist Questlove released a documentary this year called “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” as an homage to this giant.
“Sly created the alphabet that we are still using to express music,” he said.
Sly Stone is survived by his son with Silva, Sylvester Jr., a daughter Sylvette Robinson with his bandmate, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, and another daughter, KCRW radio host Novena Carmel.
